The legendary Sweet Evening Breeze (James Herndon), of Lexington, was an
early benefactor of Henry Faulkner. Mr. Herndon was such a well known character
that he appeared as himself in a work of fiction, Cormac McCarthy's quirky
masterpiece, "Suttree." A character in the book, Tripping through the Dew,
who had been to Lexington to visit his friend, says "When he dies his obituary will say
'Sweet Evening Breeze will blow no more.' " It did no such thing, of course. Mr. Herndon
died shortly after the author interviewd him about Henry's early days in Lexington.
Though they were often compared with each other in some ways, Herndon was almost
universally held in high esteem around Lexington while Faulkner was often vilified.
The difference seems to the the lot of the artist in America: it's a hard row to hoe. Mr.
Herndon was a respected, long time orderly at Good Samaritan Hospital in Lexington.